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Capgras Delusion
Capgras Delusion Capgras delusion is a psychiatric disorder in which a person holds a delusion that a friend, spouse, parent, or other close family member (or pet) has been replaced by an identical impostor. It is named after Joseph Capgras (1873–1950), a French psychiatrist. The Capgras delusion is classified as a delusional misidentification syndrome, a class of delusional beliefs that involves the misidentification of people, places, or objects. It can occur in acute, transient, or chronic forms. Cases in which patients hold the belief that time has been "warped" or "substituted" have also been reported. The delusion most commonly occurs in individuals diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia but has also been seen in brain injury, dementia with Lewy bodies, and other dementia. It presents often in individuals with a neurodegenerative disease, particularly at an older age. It has also been reported as occurring in association with diabetes, hypothyroidism, and migraine attacks. In one isolated case, the Capgras delusion was temporarily induced in a healthy subject by the drug ketamine. It occurs more frequently in females, with a female to male ratio of approximately 3 to 2. The Beginning In 1932, French psychiatrist Joseph Capgras and his intern Jean Reboul-Lachaux described Madame M., who insisted that her husband was actually an impostor who looked exactly like him. She did not see just one impostor husband, but at least 80 different ones over the course of ten years. In fact, doppelgangers replaced many of the people in Madame M.'s life, including her children, who she believed had been abducted and substituted with identical babies. Who were these faux humans and where were they coming from? It turns out they were actually the individuals themselves — her husband, her children — but they didn't feel familiar to Madame M., even though she could recognize that they looked the same. The Capgras Delusion Madame M. had the Capgras Delusion, which is the belief that people, often loved ones, are not who they appear to be. Instead, people who experience the Capgras Delusion believe that these people have been substituted by doppelgangers or even robots and aliens who have crept into the flesh of unwitting humans. The delusion can also extend to animals and objects. For example, someone with Capgras Delusion might believe that their favorite hammer has been replaced by an exact duplicate. These beliefs can be incredibly unsettling. Madame M. believed that her true husband had been murdered, and filed divorce from her "replacement" husband. Alan Davies lost all affection for his wife, calling her "Christine Two" to differentiate her from his "real" wife, "Christine One." But not all responses to the Capgras Delusion are negative. Another unnamed individual, though bewildered by the appearance of who he felt were a fake wife and children, never appeared agitated or angry toward them. Causes of the Capgras Delusion The Capgras Delusion can arise in many settings. For example, in someone with schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, or another cognitive disorder, the Capgras Delusion may be one of several symptoms. It can also develop in someone who sustains brain damage, like from a stroke or carbon monoxide poisoning. The delusion itself can be temporary or permanent. Based on studies involving individuals with very specific brain lesions, the main brain areas thought to be involved in Capgras Delusion are the inferotemporal cortex, which aids in facial recognition, and the limbic system, which is responsible for emotions and memory. Category:Episodes Category:Lexicon